Now showing: Movies, but no more films

Most regional theaters have switched to digital, the new industry standard

By Cameron Castan

Published 2:49 pm, Saturday, April 19, 2014

Photo: Skip Dickstein

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Projectionist Gaven Richard works at the console of the digital projector Friday morning April 18, 2014 at the Spectrum 8 Theatre in Albany, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein / Times Union)

Projectionist Gaven Richard works at the console of the digital projector Friday morning April 18, 2014 at the Spectrum 8 Theatre in Albany, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein / Times Union)

Photo: Skip Dickstein

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A digital image is projected on the screen in theatre 7 Friday morning April 18, 2014 at the Spectrum 8 Theatre in Albany, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein / Times Union)

A digital image is projected on the screen in theatre 7 Friday morning April 18, 2014 at the Spectrum 8 Theatre in Albany, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein / Times Union)

Photo: Skip Dickstein

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Projectionist Gaven Richard works at the console of the digital projector Friday morning April 18, 2014 at the Spectrum 8 Theatre in Albany, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein / Times Union)

Projectionist Gaven Richard works at the console of the digital projector Friday morning April 18, 2014 at the Spectrum 8 Theatre in Albany, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein / Times Union)

Photo: Skip Dickstein

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Projectionist Gaven Richard works at the console of the digital projector Friday morning April 18, 2014 at the Spectrum 8 Theatre in Albany, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein / Times Union)

Projectionist Gaven Richard works at the console of the digital projector Friday morning April 18, 2014 at the Spectrum 8 Theatre in Albany, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein / Times Union)

Photo: Skip Dickstein

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Projectionist Gaven Richard works at the console of the digital projector Friday morning April 18, 2014, at the Spectrum 8 Theatre in Albany, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein / Times Union)

Projectionist Gaven Richard works at the console of the digital projector Friday morning April 18, 2014, at the Spectrum 8 Theatre in Albany, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein / Times Union)

Photo: Skip Dickstein

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Projectionist Gaven Richard stands between the old style 35mm projector in the background and the new digital projector in the foreground Friday morning April 18, 2014 at the Spectrum 8 Theatre in Albany, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein / Times Union) less

Projectionist Gaven Richard stands between the old style 35mm projector in the background and the new digital projector in the foreground Friday morning April 18, 2014 at the Spectrum 8 Theatre in Albany, N.Y. ... more

Photo: Skip Dickstein

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Projectionist Gaven Richard works at the console of the digital projector Friday morning, April 18, 2014, at the Spectrum 8 Theatre in Albany, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein / Times Union)

Projectionist Gaven Richard works at the console of the digital projector Friday morning, April 18, 2014, at the Spectrum 8 Theatre in Albany, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein / Times Union)

Photo: Skip Dickstein

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Now showing: Movies, but no more films

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The movie industry's switch to a digital format from film is ending happily for most area theaters and drive-ins. Many in the Capital Region and beyond have managed to complete the pricey conversion to digital projection systems as movie studios phase out the distribution of their movies on 35 mm film.

But a few are still trying to come up with money to pay for the switch, and at least two small independent theaters — one in Chestertown and another in Glens Falls — have been forced to close.

Spectrum 8 Theatres in Albany installed digital projectors more than two years ago, in March 2012, with assistance from its distribution company, and Keith Pickard, managing owner, is happy with the change.

"The customer experience has been greatly improved. The visuals are crystal clear and perfect every time. With digital there is no risk of natural wear and tear like scratches," said Pickard. "Many of the major film distribution companies such as Christie, GDC and Sony saw that the transition would cut down on many of their operating expenses so they offered a financial incentive to make the switch."

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The big saving comes from not having to make multiple film prints of each movie and then physically shipping them to theaters.

The digital files that replace the prints can be transmitted to theaters over the Internet.

"We hope to be able to show some more recent films," said Holly Brown, the theater's executive director. "As of 2013 many companies have stopped putting movies out on 35 mm.

"I've always felt that this is a community building and the idea is to have an affordable place for everyone to gather and see a movie."

Nationally, about 87 percent of theaters have converted to digital, The Wall Street Journal reported last week, citing figures from the National Association of Theater Owners. About half of the nation's drive-ins have also converted, the Journal reported, citing figures from the United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association.

At Hathaway's Drive-In in North Hoosick, owner Duane Greenwalt launched his drive to raise money for the conversion by selling T-shirts and jewelry made from old film stock, and by auctioning the theater's old speakers.

Local residents also donated cash, and one large contribution, from Lynn Caponera, the personal assistant to the late children's author and part-time local resident Maurice Sendak, helped the theater close in on its $80,000 goal and allow it to open Friday night for the season.

"We often watched movies outside, both at the farm as well as at Maurice's home in Connecticut," said Caponera, who was Sendak's personal assistant, friend and caretaker who, with her adopted son, shared a home with Sendak and his longtime companion.

"We would put up an old sheet on the barn, or the side of his Connecticut house," she said in an interview with the Times Union last month. "He loved to watch the old King Kong movie outdoors."

Greenwalt said installation of digital projection equipment is under way and will be completed sometime early next month.

"It's not a choice anymore. We were forced to switch or we had to go out of business. If it were up to me I'd stick with film," Greenwalt said.

Two other area drive-ins, Jericho in Glenmont and Hi-Way in Coxsackie, are still negotiating the transition to digital as they prepare to open for the season.

Jericho entered a competition last summer sponsored by Honda Motor Co. in hopes of winning a new projector, but did not win.

Owners Lisa and Michael Chenette say, nonetheless, they will continue to show first-run 35 mm films when they open for the season on Friday — but it will take longer to get them. They also still need to raise $75,000 for a digital projector. According to Lisa Chenette, they plan to take donations at the door and online, and will also launch a Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign, with tentative dates from Memorial Day Weekend through July.

Hi-way, by contrast, will make the switch to digital in the coming month. Owner Roger Babcock, 67, began fundraising for the conversion a couple years ago, he said, but nothing brought in quite enough money. He finally financed the deposit for the equipment he needs through a combination of mortgages and his monthly Social Security check. Though he purchased refurbished projectors, Babcock expects upgrading his four-screen drive-in to cost between $200,000 and $225,000.

The drive-in has been running 35 mm since it opened a week ago, but Babcock says he plans to have two digital projectors installed in the next two weeks, and all four installed within a month.

Strand Theater in Schroon Lake and Hollywood Theater in Au Sable Forks each still need to raise $25,000 of the required matching funds for their $70,000 NYSCA grants, while Strand Theater in Plattsburgh is closing in on the final $500,000 of a $2 million historic restoration campaign that includes the digital projector conversion, for which it received a $78,000 grant, according to Fish.

Palace Theater in Lake Placid is scheduled to convert to digital projection equipment in the next few weeks.

"We're cranking through," Fish said last week. "The average donation to raise all this money was $75."